The tree is believed to have been given to the Bishop of Ely for his palace garden, which is now part of King's private school in Ely, by Charles II around 1674. Now a £121,00 National Lottery grant – the first allocated to an individual tree - will fund innovative bracing and pruning work to be carried out by Italian and UK experts using “morphophysiology.”
David Day, chair of governors at King’s School, Ely, who is leading the campaign to support the tree, said: “We are thrilled that The National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded a grant to fund the conservation of this heritage tree of national importance. The money will help to ensure that this magnificent tree can be enjoyed by future – as well as current – generations. It stands as a fine example of how our natural heritage can be conserved and nurtured. The funding allows innovative techniques to be implemented for the first time in the UK, providing a blueprint for the conservation of many other important trees.”
The Great London Plane of Ely was recognised as one of the Top 50 Great British Trees by The Tree Council in 2002 – the only plane tree on the list. It is commemorated with a plaque on site. A team of UK and Italian arboricultural experts guided by Dr Stefania Gasperini, former President of the European Arboicultural Council, will employ an approach called morphophysiology to conserve the tree. This technique takes account of how the tree has developed throughout its life, managing it as naturally as possible to support its future long-term growth.
While employed extensively in Europe, this project will be the first time this approach has been used to conserve a heritage tree in the UK.
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